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Removal of Two Dams in the Wetmore Run Watershed, Potter County, PA

As part of a plan to upgrade their public water supply to a non-dam alternative, the Borough of Galeton agreed to remove two dams and their associated impoundments. The dams were located on Wetmore Run and Right Branch of Wetmore Run, Potter County, PA. Both streams are classified as High Quality – Coldwater Fishery (HQ – CWF) by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) and drain a predominantly forested watershed comprised of ~60% public land. The barriers blocked upstream Brook Trout passage to approximately 8.5 miles of headwater habitat, contributed to the elevation of instream temperatures, interrupted the natural flow regime, and negatively impacted ecosystem function. As a result of the dam removals, almost 8.5 miles of headwater habitat was reconnected to the rest of the upper Pine Creek Watershed, which contains several intact eastern Brook Trout populations.